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Tatsunoko Production
| founder = Tatsuo Yoshida Kenji Yoshida Ippei Kuri | hq_location = Musashino, Tokyo, Japan | key_people = | products = Anime | revenue = | owner = Nippon TV (54.3%) Takara Tomy (20.0%) Horipro (13.5%) Production I.G (11.2%) | num_employees = 59 | num_employees_year = 2015 | divisions = I.G Tatsunoko | website = }} , previously known as and often shortened to , is a Japanese animation company. The studio's name has a double meaning in Japanese: "Tatsu's child" (Tatsu is a nickname for Tatsuo) and "sea dragon", the inspiration for its seahorse logo. Tatsunoko's headquarters are in Musashino, Tokyo. History The studio was founded in October 1962 by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida and his brothers Kenji and Toyoharu (pen name "Ippei Kuri"). The studio's first production was the 1965 TV series Space Ace. Since then many figures in the anime industry have worked with Tatsunoko, including Mizuho Nishikubo, Hiroshi Sasagawa, Koichi Mashimo, Katsuhisa Yamada, Hideaki Anno (Tatsunoko provided animation work on the Neon Genesis Evangelion TV series), and Kazuo Yamazaki. Sasagawa is notable for bringing his fondness for comedy animation to the forefront in Tatsunoko series such as the Time Bokan (1975) franchise. The company later licensed Macross to Harmony Gold, who then produced Robotech. Takara acquired Tatsunoko on June 3, 2005 after purchasing an 88 percent stake and made the company a subsidiary. Production I.G was established in 1987 as I.G. Tatsunoko, a branch for the production of Zillion led by Mitsuhisa Ishikawa. In 2009, Tatsunoko announced that it would collaborate with Marvel Comics on a joint television project and other ventures. IG Port announced on June 2, 2010 that its subsidiary, Production I.G, had purchased an 11.2 percent stake in Tatsunoko. Production I.G president Mitsuhisa Ishikawa became a part-time director of the studio. Talent agency Horipro announced on February 23, 2013 that it had acquired a 13.5 percent stake in Tatsunoko. At Anime Expo 2013, Sentai Filmworks announced a deal to license and release some of Tatsunoko's titles, including Gatchaman and Casshan. Nippon TV announced on January 29, 2014 that it had purchased a 54.3 percent stake in Tatsunoko and adopted the company as its subsidiary. Main productions 1960s File:Space Ace anime logo.png|Space Ace File:Mach Go Go logo.png|Mach Go Go Go File:Guzura logo.png|Oraa Guzura Dado File:Dokachin The Primitive Boy logo.png|Dokachin File:Judo Boy logo.png|Kurenai Sanshiro File:The Genie Family logo.png|Hakushon Daimao 1970s File:Hutch The Honeybee logo.png|Honeybee Hutch File:Funny Judo Champion logo.png|Inakappe Taisho File:Hippo and Thomas logo.png|Kabatoto File:Gatchaman logo.png|Science Ninja Team Gatchaman File:Casshan logo.png|Neo-Human Casshan File:Song of Tentomushi logo.png|Tentomushi no Uta File:Tekkaman The Space Knight logo.png|Space Knight Tekkaman File:Time Bokan logo.png|Time Bokan 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s * Tatsunoko vs. Capcom: Ultimate All-Stars (Nintendo Wii) (January 26, 2010) * Hutch the Honeybee ~Yuki no Melody~ (2010; movie remake of 1970 series) * Yozakura Quartet ~Hoshi no Umi~ (2010; co-production with KMMJ Studios) * Princess Resurrection (2010; remake of original TV series) * [(anime)|[C: The Money of Soul and Possibility Control]] (Fuji TV) (2011) * Sket Dance (TV Tokyo) (2011–2012) * Pretty Rhythm Aurora Dream (TV Tokyo) (2011) * Pretty Rhythm Dear My Future (TV Tokyo) (2012) * Ippatsu-Hicchuu! Devander (2012; OVA in celebration of Tatsunoko Productions' 50th Anniversary) * Namiuchigiwa no Muromi-san (MBS) (2013) * Pretty Rhythm Rainbow Live (TV Tokyo) (2013) * Gatchaman Crowds (NTV) (2013) * Yozakura Quartet ~Hana no Uta~/''Yozakura Quartet ~Tsuki ni Naku~'' (2013) * Triple Combination: Transformers Go! (2013) * Robotech: Love Live Alive (2013) (Robotech version of the MOSPEADA OVA: Love Live Alive) * Wake Up, Girls! (2014; co-production with Ordet) * Ping Pong (Fuji TV) (2014) * PriPara (TV Tokyo) (2014–2017, co-production with DongWoo A&E) * Psycho-Pass 2 (Fuji TV) (2014) * Yatterman Night (MBS) (2015) * Gatchaman Crowds insight (NTV) (2015) * PriPara Mi~nna no Akogare Let's Go PriPari (TV Tokyo) (2016) * Transformers: Combiner Wars (2016, co-production with Hasbro Studios and Machinima Inc.) * Time Bokan 24 (YTV/NTV) (2016-2017, co-production with Level-5) * Infini-T Force (NTV) (2017, co-production with Digital Frontier) * Idol Time PriPara (TV Tokyo) (2017-2018, co-production with DongWoo A&E) * Transformers: Titans Return (2017-2018, co-production with Hasbro Studios and Machinima Inc.) * Transformers: Power of the Primes (2018, co-production with Hasbro Studios and Machinima Inc.) * Kiratto Pri Chan (TV Tokyo) (2018, co-production with DongWoo A&E) * Egao no Daika (2019) * King of Prism: Shiny Seven Stars (2019) Co-productions * Once Upon a Time...Man (Belgian-Japanese co-production with Procidis) (1978) * The Super Dimension Fortress Macross (produced by Studio Nue) (MBS) (1982-1983) * Genesis Climber MOSPEADA: Love Live Alive OVA (with Artmic) (1985) * Megazone 23 (1985-1989) (co-production with AIC) * Robotech, An adaptation of Macross, Southern Cross, and Mospeada (co-produced with Harmony Gold USA and Big West) (1985) * Robotech II: The Sentinels (American co-production with Harmony Gold USA) (1986) * Outlanders (animated by AIC on Tatsunoko's behalf; not listed on Tatsunoko's website) (1986) * Time Travel Tondekeman (a.k.a. Time Quest Tondekema!) (produced by Ashi Productions) (Fuji TV) (1989–1990) * Video Girl Ai (1993; produced by IG Tatsunoko) * Dizzy Down the Rapids (American co-production with Harmony Gold USA) (1993) * Neon Genesis Evangelion (TV Tokyo) (1995–96; Tatsunoko provided assistance with animation, main production by Gainax) * Martin Mystery (French-Italian-Canadian-Japanese co-production with Marathon Production) (2003-2006) Anime studios made by former animators * Ashi Productions/Production Reed (since 1975) * Pierrot (since 1979) * J.C.Staff (since 1986) * Production I.G (since 1987) * Xebec (since 1995) * Radix Ace Entertainment (1995-2006) (defunct) * Bee Train (since 1997) * Actas (since 1998) * TNK (since 1999) References External links * * Category:1962 establishments in Japan Category:Animation studios in Tokyo Category:Companies established in 1962 Category:Japanese animation studios Category:Musashino, Tokyo Category:Tatsunoko Production